health

• York invests nearly £2m to improve air quality

  City of York Council plans to invest £1.6m in order to reduce the exhaust emissions from local bus services.

  

• Council chiefs warn of dangerous ‘must-have’ toys

  Local government leaders are warning Christmas shoppers to avoid potentially dangerous and fake ‘must-have’ toys.

  

• What will 2019 bring for local government?

  Turbulent waters lie ahead in 2019, says Mark Whitehead, and councils will need to watch events carefully

  

• Clinical Commissioning Groups ‘failing to function effectively’

  An inquiry into the role of Clinical Commissioning Groups has been launched after a report warned many were ‘failing to function effectively’.

  

• Experts warn of ‘economically irresponsible’ health inequalities

  Senior public health experts have called for action to halt growing inequality in provision of services in the north of England compared to the South.

  

• Leeds first council to provide free sanitary products

  Councillors in Leeds are to consider providing free sanitary products in schools and libraries throughout the city in a bid to end 'period poverty'.

  

• Preventable illness factor in life expectancy slow-down

  Preventable illnesses are one of several factors behind the slowing improvements in life expectancy in England, the national health body warns.

  

• Whitehall to cut £85m from public health budget

  Local authorities have warned they are having to make 'difficult decisions' over maintaining public health services.

  

• Council fined £27,000 over Legionella case

  A district council has pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach after a leisure centre customer contracted Legionnaire’s Disease.

  

• Whitehall announces £1m ‘pocket park’ fund

  Community groups can bid for a share of a £1m fund to help them develop ‘pocket parks’.